As managers progress through their careers, they need different kinds of education and development experiences at different stages. The choices they make in this regard have a strong influence on their success. This short article examines these different development experiences and stages within an international context to aid management students looking ahead and abroad. By Kai Peters and Narendra Laljani

It is generally accepted that at different points in their careers, managers must acquire several distinct skills. Taking a pyramid view of organizations, these skills are:

Analytical skills in different functional areas:  At relatively junior management levels, managers tend to work within a specific functional area, and must therefore understand the domains of business finance, accounting, marketing, strategy, IT, economics, operations, and human resource management.

Inter-personal and integration skills: As managers work their way up the ladder, they must increasingly deliver results through other people, and not just through their own functional expertise. This requires an ability to understand and influence people, and lead teams. Managers must be able to communicate, negotiate, and gain buy-in and commitment from people over whom they have no direct authority. In order to succeed, executives must have insights into the needs, aspirations, and motivations of others, as well as a high degree of self-awareness and the impact they make on others. In addition, at middle levels and above, managers must also be able to integrate the frequently conflicting perspectives of the different functional areas different functional areas in order to find the appropriate organizational solutions.

Conceptual and synthesis skills: At senior levels managers must be able to make sense of the complex external contexts in which most contemporary organizations operate. Given societal changes, political drivers, global interactions, and technology developments, they must conceptualise a broad strategic direction for the organization and mobilise people to execute. This also requires a broadened repertoire of leadership behaviours and a willingness to make tough judgement calls in the face of a bewildering array of options i.e. to solve problems the answers to which are not implicit in the facts, and which therefore cannot be addressed through an analytical lens.

Personal leadership skills:  In order to be effective, all managers need to develop themselves as human beings. For example, they must learn to think critically, manage their time, set the right goals, prioritize their work and life goals, have the discipline to see tasks through to completion, deploy their strengths and mitigate weaknesses effectively, listen actively, and communicate with impact.

Implications

These four types of managerial skills have implications for individuals. While the skills can be acquired through learning on the job, business schools play a vital role in imparting, honing, and accelerating these skills in a safe environment with like-minded peers. Individuals considering an investment in formal management education must however think through their choices carefully. Some key considerations are:

1. Career Stage:  The primary need for younger business students, whether in a BA, specialised Masters or MBA programme, is to develop functional expertise. While you also need to learn about context, organizational dynamics, and individual effectiveness, the true need for those skills will come later. Conversely, at the senior management end of the spectrum, there is less need to focus on functional skills. Managers must acquire these at earlier stages of their careers as such skills are often the "price of admission" for earlier positions. Instead, senior managers will want to focus on questions of strategy, organizational dynamics, and their own individual drivers.

2. Class size: in general, you should expect the class size to shrink as the average age of the students goes up. A large classroom is perfectly acceptable when the subject matter is basic business content or the development of functional skills. It is possible to lecture about economics to a group of 100 or to use Internet-enabled technology to transmit information to almost limitless numbers. However, this "broadcast" model breaks down for mature students with significant experience already under their belts. Issues concerning interdisciplinary and cross-functional trade-offs involve decisions. Managers facing immediate business problems are looking for practical solutions from instructors with real-world experience, not simply an understanding of business theory. These participants benefit from smaller groups that can offer in-depth discussion and thoughtful insights, as well as opportunities to surface and test their own ideas and assumptions. At the most senior managerial levels, the group size is likely to be reduced even further. It is simply unsuitable to discuss issues of personal priorities and boardroom dynamics in large group settings. In addition, there are practical challenges inherent in trying to assemble a large number of senior managers in one room at a common time. Therefore, executive education for top-level managers is likely to take place in relatively small groups.

3. Faculty profile:  Younger managers need instructors who can teach traditional management disciplines. Those in the middle of their careers need guidance from practitioners and integrators. Senior executives need coaches who can help them achieve wisdom, insight, and reflection.

Another important and interesting consideration is location, which we examine in more detail below.

The geography of business education

Business education is itself a global business, with over 7000 business schools offering a stunning variety of study options. It is increasingly recognised that studying and living outside one's home country is in itself an outstanding personal development experience that helps prepare individuals for the challenges of managing in a global world.

Country

Undergraduates frequently seek out a school that provides an affordable and enjoyable study environment, and is close to home. Obviously, this makes sense for those who are resource constrained, or not yet ready to embark on a "stretch experience". For those who cannot afford to study abroad as an undergraduate, choosing a home country degree which includes an exchange programme is an excellent alternative. However, for those who can afford it, international study opportunities abound, especially in Europe where  the Bologna process has created greater comparability of programmes across Europe, and consequently, greater student mobility. In choosing a destination country, one must not only take into account distance and cost, but also "psychic proximity" or the sense of being at home or comfortable in the new environment (e.g. between India and the UK). 

Career

Recent research indicates that one of the prime drivers for an international degree is to gain employment in the host country. Some countries encourage this type of migration. While legislation changes frequently, the UK, the US and Canada have all, at one point or another, connected immigration policy with educational achievement. In a global war for talent, securing the highly capable provides economic benefit to the host country.

Master's or MBA level students must therefore familiarise themselves with employment opportunities and regulations in the target country and sector, and make the right choices early on. Apart from regulatory factors, you will build your social and professional network in the country in which you study. If you want to work in London after graduation, for example, it makes good sense to choose a programme which is close to London rather than a programme in Barcelona. While this is not rocket science, it does get strangely overlooked all too often!  

Culture

Different countries often have different world views. For candidates considering an MBA or executive education in another country, it is important to think about whether one is suited for the underlying culture specific management style and philosophy that will underpin the educational experience. For instance, in the area of leadership, America by and large celebrates "heroic" and charismatic leaders. Europe tends to be wary of them and prefers a subtler, more facilitative model of leadership. While "hire and fire" may work in America, European managers are often appalled by such practices.

Just as there are differences in views of business, there are also different views of educational processes. While some are anchored in the philosophy of a particular school, others are influenced by the educational philosophy of a nation. Some countries prefer the expert professor and chalk and talk, while the students dutifully listen and make notes. Other counties, such as the UK, tend to favour a highly participatory educational system. While individual learning preferences also vary, we believe that the best learning - particularly for middle and senior level managers - happens through interaction, experience, and discovery.

At a personal level, spending considerable time abroad obviously gives a student a chance to experience another culture from a variety of perspectives. What is it like to live there? What do they do there and how and why? How does the economy work? While these issues are obvious, what should not be underestimated is that in addition to learning about a new culture, one also has a tremendous opportunity to reflect on one's own culture. This allows one to transfer knowledge and ideas between countries, as well as to reflect deeply on one's own personal values and life choices.

Lessons for students considering international programmes

For those considering Bachelors or Master's and MBA programmes, an international experience offers a wide range of choices in terms of learning opportunities and cultural reflection. The options are extensive. An undergraduate programme in the Netherlands? An exchange programme to China? An MBA in the United States to watch developments on Web 2.0 from close-up? A Masters programme in London to be at the heart of the European financial and media worlds? A short open course in Barcelona? Or, if you're really ambitious, all of the above - because it is about life long learning after all!  

Kai Peters is chief executive of Ashridge Business School in the United Kingdom.

Narendra Laljani is dean of graduate studies of Ashridge Business School.